:: E. DODINET & M.-A. SELOSSE Editorial Paru dans Botany Letters, 2016, 163 (1), pp. 1-2. Anglais :: ANONYMOUS List of reviewers Paru dans Botany Letters, 2016, 163 (1), pp. 3-7. Anglais :: S. NADOT & E. DODINET Letters to the twenty-first century botanist: “What is a flower? Paru dans Botany Letters, 2016, 163 (1), pp. 9-10. Anglais Abstract The difficulty in obtaining a clear definition for basic words, such as the word “flower”, prompted the idea of a series of “letters to the twenty-first century botanists”, highlighting polyseminal words (see the editorial of E. Dodinet in the present issue). The series of 2016 (volume 163) will address this fascinating botanical core question “What is a flower?”
:: P. BATIONO-KANDO, J.-D. ZONGO & S. SILJAK-YAKOVLEV First genome size assessment, heterochromatin and rDNA chromosome mapping in the genus Sclerocarya (Anacardiaceae): insight into the new basic chromosome number Paru dans Botany Letters, 2016, 163 (1), pp. 11-17. Anglais Abstract Sclerocarya birrea (Anacardiaceae) is a multipurpose plant characteristic of the Sahel Sudanian savanna that is found widespread across West Africa. As for most tropical trees and, generally, woody species, cytogenetic studies are scarce. Classical and molecular cytogenetic approaches have been used for the first time to study S. birrea subsp. birrea from Burkina Faso. Sclerocarya birrea is a diploid species that has a chromosome number of 2n = 28. Genome size, estimated by flow cytometry, was 2C = 0.81 pg. Two 35S loci and one 5S locus of rRNA genes were observed after fluorescence in situ hybridization. Six G-C-rich DNA regions, four corresponding to 35S signals and two corresponding to 5S signals, were detected by chromomycin A3 fluorochrome banding, but no DAPI-positive band was observed in this taxon.
:: J.F. VELDKAMP New status and combinations for the two East African taxa of Isachne R. Br. (Gramineae) Paru dans Botany Letters, 2016, 163 (1), pp. 19-24. Anglais Abstract During a revision of Malesia, the circumscription and delimitation of taxa in the Isachne albens complex (Gramineae) was studied, which resulted in new combinations for the two East African taxa. A key is provided with synonymy, descriptions and notes on these and other taxa.
:: M. HASSOUN, G. SALHI, H. MOUSSA, H. RIADI, M. KAZZAZ & H. ZBAKH Ceramium cornutum and Ceramium pallidum (Rhodophyta: Ceramiales) two new records for Morocco: morphology and reproductive structures Paru dans Botany Letters, 2016, 163 (1), pp. 25-31. Anglais Abstract Two macroalgal taxa are reported for the first time from Morocco: Ceramium cornutum and Ceramium pallidum (Ceramiaceae: Ceramiales). The last species is also reported for the first time from Africa. Specimens of both taxa were collected in the lower intertidal to subtidal zones from different localities in northwest Morocco. These new records, are examined in detail and compared with congeners such as Ceramium cimbricum, Ceramium diaphanum, Ceramium tenerrimum and Ceramium virgatum. Both morphological features and reproductive structures are given; illustrations, habitat, geographic distribution and taxonomic remarks for each species are also provided. In this paper new data are provided for C. cornutum, especially number of periaxial cells and type of rhizoids.
:: K. YESSOUFOU, K. MEARNS, H. O. ELANSARY & G. HENDRIK STOFFBERG Assessing the phylogenetic dimension of Australian Acacia species introduced outside their native ranges Paru dans Botany Letters, 2016, 163 (1), pp. 33-39. Anglais Abstract Biological invasion is a long process that starts with humans introducing intentionally (most of the time) species into a new environment to benefit from the ecosystem services that these species provide. Increasing evidence suggests that species providing ecosystem services might be phylogenetically closer than expected, but only a few studies actually demonstrate this. Also, recent studies indicate that naturalized and invasive species are two functionally distinct groups, but evidence that they are also two phylogenetically distinct groups is mixed. Using the set of Australian Acacia species known to have been introduced intentionally by humans to several parts of the world for the ecosystem services they provide, we first tested whether there is a phylogenetic pattern in the subset of introduced species. We found that species moved beyond Australia are phylogenetically more closely related than expected at random, suggesting that the ecosystem services that guide human-mediated introduction of these species into new areas (e.g. famine food, medicines, fuel, fodder, ornament) may be shared between closely related species. We also found that naturalized non-invasive and naturalized invasive species are closely related and both are not a phylogenetically random subset of introduced species based on mean phylogenetic distance, suggesting that naturalization and invasion processes may be phylogenetically mediated. Collectively, our study indicates that phylogeny might play different roles at different stages of the biological invasion process.
:: M. STRUWIG, S. J. SIEBERT, M. ANDRIESSEN & A. JORDAAN Pollen morphology and folding of Prototulbaghia Vosa (Amaryllidaceae), South Africa Paru dans Botany Letters, 2016, 163 (1), pp. 41-46. Anglais Abstract Prototulbaghia is a genus within the Tulbaghieae in subfamily Allioideae (Amaryllidaceae) and comprises two species restricted to the northeastern escarpment of South Africa. The pollen morphology of these species is studied with the use of scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy. The pollen is compared with that of representatives from the sister genus Tulbaghia (Tulbaghia simmleri and Tulbaghia violacea) and sister tribe Leucocoryneae (Nothoscordum borbonicum). The pollen morphology of Prototulbaghia differs from other members of the Allioideae in both the shape of the pollen grains and the ornamentation of the sulcus membrane. The pollen grains of both Prototulbaghia species are oblate-spheroidal with a reticulate surface ornamentation, the sulcus membrane contains sexine elements (pila), and the wall is thick. Dehydrated grains of both Prototulbaghia species are also triangular in shape after folding due to the length of the sulcus and the thickening of sexine elements in the centre thereof. This type of folding is proposed as a taxonomic character to distinguish the dehydrated pollen grains of this genus from pollen grains of other members of the Allioideae.
:: R. PIWOWARCZYK, L. CARLÓN, J. KASIŃSKA, S. TOFIL & P. FURMAŃCZYK Micromorphological intraspecific differentiation of nectar guides and landing platform for pollinators in the Iberian parasitic plant Cistanche phelypæa (Orobanchaceae) Paru dans Botany Letters, 2016, 163 (1), pp. 47-55. Anglais Abstract Holoparasites have evolved a number of adaptations for pollination in parallel with their parasitic strategies. Complex floral pigmentation patterns, comprising spots or stripes that act as visual nectar or landing guides for pollinators, are common and diversified, but their structure and function are poorly understood and almost nothing is known about the role that micromorphological features might play in generating or complementing those visual stimuli. By means of scanning electron and confocal digital microscopy, petal micromorphology was analysed in the two subspecies of the holoparasitic Cistanche phelypæa (subsp. phelypæa and subsp. lutea, Orobanchaceae). Plant material was collected in the semi-deserts of southeastern Spain in 2009 (subsp. lutea), and in coastal salt marshes in southern Portugal in 2012 (subsp. phelypæa). Cistanche phelypæa subspecies were already known to differ in several morphological features of flowers and leaves, as well as in their habitats and hosts. Our data have shown that they also differ in several micromorphological features of the petal epidermis. Three different sculpture types of the petal epidermis were recognized. Our results show that petal micromorphology can be used in the separation of taxa, with potential utility in the determination of dried specimens in this genus, inherently poorly preserved in herbaria. The putative influence of the visual and tactile effects originating from this micromorphological variability on the interactions between plants and pollinators and in the reproductive biology of the former is discussed in detail.
:: A. NOWAK, S. NOWAK, M. NOBIS & A. NOBIS Validation of chasmophytic syntaxa of colline and montane zones in Tajikistan (Middle Asia) Paru dans Botany Letters, 2016, 163 (1), pp. 57-59. Anglais Abstract Eight syntaxa are validated with the previous names regarded as invalidly published according to the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature. The validation concerns syntaxa of rock plant communities of the Campanuletalia incanescentis order reported from the Pamir Alai mountains in Tajikistan. The majority of validated syntaxa represents association level, one is an alliance. All validations are conducted due to the invalidity of tables with typus relevés according to art. 1 of the Code: they were not distributed as printed matter. The validated syntaxa are as follows: Caricion koshewnikowii, Scutellarietum hissaricae, Scutellarietum schugnanicae, Scutellarietum zaprjagaevii, Scutellarietum baldshuanicae, Tylospermetum lignosae, Nanorrhinetum ramosissimi, Campanuletum albertii.
:: A. MUKHERJEE & A. BARIK Long-chain primary alcohols in Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng leaf surface waxes Paru dans Botany Letters, 2016, 163 (1), pp. 61-66. Anglais Abstract The chloroform extracts of young, mature and senescent Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng (Cucurbitaceae) leaves containing a layer of epicuticular waxes were analysed by thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The young and mature leaves indicated the presence of 14 individual longchain primary alcohols, accounting for 2643.33 ± 68.88 and 3350 ± 88.88 μg/100 g, respectively; whereas 15 individual primary alcohols were detected in senescent leaves representing 3013.33 ± 105.25 μg/100 g (mean ± standard error). The predominant primary alcohol was 1-octadecanol in mature and senescent leaves representing 1224.65 ± 24.47 and 2299.41 ± 66.22 μg/100 g, respectively; whereas 1-nonacosanol was dominant accounting for 653.38 ± 12.62 μg/100 g in young leaves. 1-tridecanol was least abundant in young leaves (30.46 ± 1.63 μg/100 g); whereas 1-tetradecanol was least abundant in mature and senescent leaves, accounting for 35.42 ± 1.42 and 8.87 ± 0.83 μg/100 g, respectively.
:: E. VELLA & J. VIGLIONE Corrigendum Paru dans Botany Letters, 2016, 163 (1), pp. 67-67. Anglais Abstract Recent inputs to the Lebanese orchid flora and proposal of a national checklist for Orchidaceae family. Acta Botanica Gallica: Botany Letters, 162(4), pp. 271–285. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/12538078.2015.1105148 Since the publication of the above cited article, three overlooked names were identified and need to be added in our synonymical review, while they are absent from “The International Plant Name Index” (www.ipni.org).